Chelsea face Real Sociedad with league-phase place at stake | OneFootball

Chelsea host Real Sociedad in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League third qualifying-round tie at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 19:45 CET. It marks Chelsea Women’s first-ever match at their new home ground, with Kingsmeadow now dedicated to the club’s youth teams. A place in the competition’s league phase is at stake, with the return fixture in Spain, at the Estadio Zubieta in San Sebastián, on 2 September.

According to UEFA, the third qualifying round decides the final nine league-phase berths, with the winners joining the nine clubs who qualified automatically. The nine defeated teams transfer to the second qualifying round of the new Women’s Europa Cup.

Why this tie carries weight for both clubs

Chelsea have taken part in the group stage or league phase in each of the previous five seasons and reached the quarter-finals in 2025/26. Real Sociedad are appearing in the competition for only the second time. Their only previous tie ended in a 4-1 aggregate defeat to Bayern in the old second qualifying round in 2022/23.

Real Sociedad arrive with real credentials of their own, though. Their third-place Liga F finish included a notable 1-0 home win over reigning European champions Barcelona, and their preseason ended on a positive note with a 1-1 draw against Eibar that they won 4-1 on penalties, having also held fellow Liga F side Logroño.

Chelsea Women players celebrate during a UEFA Women’s Champions League match.

Bompastor highlights Sociedad’s qualities

Speaking ahead of the tie, Sonia Bompastor pointed to Real Sociedad’s third-place finish in Liga F and described the Spanish side as a team with a strong philosophy in possession and quality out of possession. She said Chelsea had prepared well for the game and expressed confidence in the quality shown by her squad during pre-season.

Lucy Bronze, who previously faced Real Sociedad while at Barcelona, said the Basque side were a good team who played good football. She also recalled their defensive performance against Barcelona last season.

Lucy Bronze represents Chelsea FC Women.

A demanding qualifying round

Chelsea and Real Sociedad are among five ties in the league path of the third qualifying round. Other fixtures include Eintracht Frankfurt against Paris Saint-Germain, Wolfsburg against Inter, Ajax against Real Madrid and St. Pölten against Juventus.

The winners of the nine ties across the champions and league paths will complete the 18-team league phase alongside the nine clubs already qualified, including Arsenal and Manchester City. Wednesday’s match is available to watch for free on the Chelsea website and the club’s official app.

Source: UEFA